The present invention relates to the use of laser radiation for treating mineralized body tissues, including in particular a variety of dental tissues and bone.
The prior applications, cited above, disclose procedures and devices for cutting or vaporizing mineralized physiologic tissues, including particularly enamel, dentin, cementum and bone, using laser radiation. It has been found that such operations can be performed with laser radiation at wavelengths which are strongly absorbed by hydroxyapatite, which is a principal constituent of such physiologic tissues, and is only weakly absorbed by water. The preferred source of laser radiation is a Nd:YAG laser since its normal wavelength of 1.06 .mu. satisfies these requirements in a particularly suitable manner.
The prior applications also disclose the possibility of performing treatments in tooth root canals by delivering laser radiation via an optical fiber which is introduced into the canal. Such a fiber can also be disposed to permit the laser radiation to perform various treatments at a root apex.
Techniques for filling cavities or other openings in tooth or bone material, using laser radiation to effect fusion of the filling material, have also been previously disclosed.
As a result of further investigations, a number of significant improvements in these procedures have been discovered, and these improvements are the subject of the present application.